25 Best Bachelor’s in Human Resources

Key Infor­ma­tion:

• NC State Uni­ver­si­ty has the #1 best human resources bach­e­lor’s degree.
• Bach­e­lor’s pro­grams typ­i­cal­ly cov­er crit­i­cal think­ing skills, work­place law, and pro­fes­sion­al net­work­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties, pro­vid­ing a well-round­ed edu­ca­tion in HR.
• Grad­u­ates are pre­pared for var­i­ous roles such as train­ing spe­cial­ists, career coun­selors, recruiters, ben­e­fits admin­is­tra­tors, labor rela­tions spe­cial­ists, and HR con­sul­tants.

If you crave job flex­i­bil­i­ty and vari­abil­i­ty in your day-to-day rou­tine, a Human Resources career may appeal to you. Most mid­size to large com­pa­nies have at least one HR posi­tion. The best human resources degree pro­grams give you the oppor­tu­ni­ty to work in com­pa­nies of all sizes. After you get a lit­tle expe­ri­ence, you can choose the indus­try you want to work in and apply for posi­tions in the ser­vice sec­tor, sci­ence, tech­nol­o­gy, busi­ness and oth­er vertical.

A degree in human resources is a great choice for you if you are friend­ly and per­son­able. If you like spend­ing time with employ­ees and address­ing staffing issues, an HR career could be a per­fect match. To max­i­mize your earn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties, you should con­sid­er get­ting a four-year HR degree.

Methodology: Ranking the Best Bachelor’s in Human Resources

To rank the best bachelor’s pro­grams in human resources, Bachelor’s Degree Cen­ter edi­tors focused on accred­it­ed, rep­utable insti­tu­tions that are known to pro­vide a sol­id val­ue for grad­u­ates. For the rank­ing order, pro­grams were scored on afford­abil­i­ty, rep­u­ta­tion, and salary poten­tial, using data from IPEDS and Niche.

1. North Carolina State University

North Car­oli­na State University’s Poole Col­lege of Man­age­ment offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) degree in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion with a focus on Human Resources Man­age­ment that is rec­og­nized among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams. NC State’s degree in HR pre­pares degree can­di­dates for careers as a train­ing spe­cial­ist, career coun­selor recruiter, ben­e­fits admin­is­tra­tor, labor rela­tions spe­cial­ist, or human resource con­sul­tant, among oth­ers. Stu­dents learn crit­i­cal think­ing skills, work­place law and are offered pro­fes­sion­al net­work­ing opportunities.

North Car­oli­na State Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished under the Mor­rill Land Grant Act in 1887. NC State is also a sea-grant and space-grant insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing. North Car­oli­na State’s urban cam­pus extends over 2,000 acres and serves more than 35,400 stu­dents vying for the more than 200 degrees offered by North Car­oli­na State University.

What We Like: North Car­oli­na State Uni­ver­si­ty was one of 50 uni­ver­si­ties des­ig­nat­ed for its inno­va­tion and eco­nom­ic prosperity.

Degree: Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion: Human Resources Man­age­ment, BS

North Car­oli­na State Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resources Man­age­ment, BS

2. University of Iowa

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa’s Tip­pie Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion (BBA) degree in Man­age­ment with a focus in Human Resources that delves into employ­ee and busi­ness law, required top­ics for a human resource career or to move for­ward to law school. As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­gram, The Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa’s Tip­pie Busi­ness Col­lege is rec­og­nized among the top 25 pub­lic insti­tu­tions of high­er edu­ca­tion in the nation.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa (UI) was estab­lished in 1847. The 1,800+ acre cam­pus in Iowa City serves near­ly 24,000 stu­dents and is home to Iowa’s Writer’s Work­shop. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa was the first insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing to open a med­ical school that was coed­u­ca­tion­al at its inception.

What We Like: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa holds the dis­tinc­tion of being the 2nd largest and old­est insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing in the state.

Degree: Man­age­ment: Human Resources, BBA

Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa Human Resources, BBA

3. Temple University

Tem­ple University’s Fox School of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion (BBA) degree in Human Resource Man­age­ment (HRM) that offers stu­dents sev­er­al minors for BBA majors. Minors avail­able include orga­ni­za­tion­al lead­er­ship, legal stud­ies, and sales, to name a few. TU is rec­og­nized as one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­gram on the east coast and beyond. Degree can­di­dates have the option to join the Soci­ety for Human Resource Man­age­ment chap­ter on Temple’s campus.

Tem­ple Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1884 by a min­is­ter of Bap­tist faith with a Yale edu­ca­tion. Tem­ple University’s urban cam­pus in the City of Broth­er­ly Love cov­ers more than 100 acres and serves near­ly 40,000 stu­dents. The school oper­ates two cam­pus­es in Philadel­phia and two addi­tion­al aca­d­e­m­ic cam­pus­es inter­na­tion­al­ly in Japan and Italy.

What We Like: Tem­ple Uni­ver­si­ty holds the dis­tinc­tion of being one of the few uni­ver­si­ties where Mar­tin Luther King Jr. lectured.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

Tem­ple Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

4. Bradley University

Bradley Uni­ver­si­ty’s Fos­ter Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a bach­e­lor’s degree in Human Resource Man­age­ment with a con­cen­tra­tion in Man­age­ment and Lead­er­ship that has received accred­i­ta­tion from AACSB. As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the coun­try, Bradley Uni­ver­si­ty’s cur­ricu­lum includes human cap­i­tal, employ­ment law, com­pen­sa­tion man­age­ment, orga­ni­za­tion­al envi­ron­ments, and lead­er­ship, to name a few. Stu­dents enrolled in Bradley University’s under­grad­u­ate human resources pro­gram must also com­plete the core busi­ness require­ments set forth by Fos­ter Col­lege of Business.

Bradley Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1897 as Bradley Poly­tech­nic Insti­tute. The school is orga­nized into sev­en colleges/schools, includ­ing a school of sports com­mu­ni­ca­tion. Bradley University’s cam­pus cov­ers 80+ urban acres and serves more than 4,500 students.

What We Like: Bradley Uni­ver­si­ty is rec­og­nized as the 4th best region­al uni­ver­si­ties in the Mid­west by US News and World report.

Degree: Man­age­ment and Lead­er­ship: HRM

Bradley Uni­ver­si­ty Man­age­ment and Lead­er­ship: HRM

5. DePaul University

DePaul Uni­ver­si­ty’s Driehaus Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) in Busi­ness and Man­age­ment with a con­cen­tra­tion in Human Resources that is accred­it­ed by the AACSB. DePaul University’s under­grad­u­ate pro­gram is con­sid­ered among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the nation. Course­work for DePaul’s human resources degree con­cen­tra­tion includes recruit­ment and selec­tion, nego­ti­a­tions, train­ing and devel­op­ment, and com­pen­sa­tion & ben­e­fits, plus an intern­ship in management.

DePaul Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished as a Catholic insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion in 1898. DePaul was char­tered by the Vin­cen­tians of the Catholic Church. DePaul University’s urban cam­pus­es at the Loop and in Lin­coln Park serves more than 22,000 students.

What We Like: More than 90% of the stu­dents attend­ing DePaul live off cam­pus and com­mute to class.

Degree: Man­age­ment: Human Resources, BAB

DePaul Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resources, BAB

6. Illinois State University

Illi­nois State University’s Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Man­age­ment degree pro­gram with a Human Resource Man­age­ment sequence that is rec­og­nized among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams by Human Resources MBA. Course­work for ISU’s under­grad­u­ate human resource degree pro­gram requires the com­ple­tion of 69 semes­ter hours from the major’s cur­ricu­lum, with a total of 120 cred­it units required to grad­u­ate. Class­es include oper­a­tions man­age­ment, orga­ni­za­tion­al behav­ior, and admin­is­tra­tion, plus the com­ple­tion of the busi­ness fun­da­men­tals exam.

Illi­nois State Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished as a teacher’s school in 1857. Illi­nois State University’s col­lege-town cam­pus cov­ers more than 1,000 acres and serves near­ly 21,000 stu­dents Illi­nois State Uni­ver­si­ty is rec­og­nized among the top 100 pub­lic insti­tu­tions of high­er edu­ca­tion in the country.

What We Like: Illi­nois State Uni­ver­si­ty holds the dis­tinc­tion of being one of the uni­ver­si­ties in the coun­try that pro­duces the most teach­ing professionals.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Illi­nois State Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

7. Baylor University

Bay­lor University’s Han­kamer School of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion degree pro­gram with a Human Resource Man­age­ment sequence that is ranked among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams. Baylor’s under­grad­u­ate human resource degree pro­gram has received accred­i­ta­tion from the AACSB and aligns with the Soci­ety for Man­age­ment cri­te­ria. The cur­ricu­lum includ­ed in Bay­lor University’s human resource degree pro­gram includes employ­ment law, com­pen­sa­tion man­age­ment, con­flict res­o­lu­tion, plus an intern­ship in man­age­ment. Degree can­di­dates from Baylor’s pro­gram have found reward­ing careers with All­state, Deloitte, and AT&T.

Bay­lor Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1845 sev­er­al months before Texas became a state. Bay­lor has an affil­i­a­tion with the Bap­tist Gen­er­al Con­ven­tion of Texas and serves more than 18,000 stu­dents. Bay­lor’s cam­pus in Waco is sit­u­at­ed along the Bra­zos River.

What We Like: US News and World Report rec­og­nizes Bay­lor Uni­ver­si­ty among the top 80 nation­al universities.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

Bay­lor Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

8. Cleary University

Cleary Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BBA in Human Resource Man­age­ment that is rec­og­nized as one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the mid­west­ern US. Course­work for Cleary Uni­ver­si­ty’s under­grad­u­ate degree pro­gram in human resources includes HR law, inter­na­tion­al human resources, busi­ness ethics, lead­er­ship, man­age­ment skills, sem­i­nar, human resource man­age­ment, staffing prin­ci­ples, per­for­mance man­age­ment, plus an intern­ship that allows stu­dents to apply the the­o­ret­i­cal knowl­edge learned in the class­room. Stu­dents grad­u­ate pre­pared for careers as pay­roll admin­is­tra­tors, employ­ee rela­tions man­agers, ben­e­fits spe­cial­ists, or com­pen­sa­tion man­agers, to name a few.

Cleary Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1883 as a busi­ness school for pen­man­ship with mul­ti­ple cam­pus­es. The school’s cam­pus­es serve approx­i­mate­ly 800 stu­dents. The school oper­ates addi­tion­al cam­pus­es in How­ell and Detroit.

What We Like: Cleary Uni­ver­si­ty first held sum­mer ses­sions in 1886 and cur­rent­ly ranks among the top small schools for a return on investment.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

Cleary Uni­ver­si­ty BBA in Human Resource Management

9. Rowan University

Rowan Uni­ver­si­ty’s Rohrer Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) in Man­age­ment degree pro­gram with a Human Resource Man­age­ment sequence that is con­sid­ered one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams. Stu­dents enrolled in Rowan University’s HR pro­gram are required to com­plete an intern­ship to meet the program’s require­ments. Pre­vi­ous intern­ships include com­pa­nies like Lion’s Gate Retire­ment, Novo Nordisk, Ama­zon, the NFL, TD Bank, Albert’s Organ­ics, and the US Navy, to name a few.

Rowan Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1923 as a teacher’s train­ing school. Rowan University’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus­es cov­er about 25 acres and serve near­ly 20,000 stu­dents who are vying for the degrees offered by the university’s twelve schools/colleges.

What We Like: Musi­cian Pat­ti Smith and actor Robert Hegyes of Wel­come Back Kot­ter fame are alum­ni of Rowan University.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Rowan Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

10. Calvin University

Calvin Uni­ver­si­ty offers a Human Resources Man­age­ment BS in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion that is con­sid­ered one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the Mid­west by US News and World Report. The major’s cur­ricu­lum includes the psy­chol­o­gy of work, busi­ness ethics, orga­ni­za­tion­al com­mu­ni­ca­tion, strate­gic man­age­ment, human resource eco­nom­ics, and spe­cial top­ic in HR man­age­ment, plus a busi­ness intern­ship in a human resource-relat­ed posi­tion. Stu­dents enrolled in Calvin Uni­ver­si­ty’s under­grad­u­ate HR degree pro­gram have oppor­tu­ni­ties to study abroad in Ger­many, India, Chi­na, and Hungary.

Calvin Uni­ver­si­ty was found­ed in 1876. Calvin Uni­ver­si­ty is an aca­d­e­m­ic insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing affil­i­at­ed with the Chris­t­ian Reformed Church. Calvin University’s cam­pus cov­ers near­ly 400 sub­ur­ban acres and serves more than 3,500 students.

What We Like: Calvin Uni­ver­si­ty is named in hon­or of the Protes­tant Reformer of the 16th cen­tu­ry, J. Calvin.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Calvin Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resources Man­age­ment BS

11. Quinnipiac University

Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Human Resources Man­age­ment that requires degree can­di­dates to com­plete 122 semes­ter cred­its to meet pro­gram require­ments. As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams on the east coast, Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty includes course­work in HR of Data Dri­ven Deci­sion-mak­ing, Man­ag­ing Peo­ple, Prob­lem Solv­ing, Train­ing and Devel­op­ment, Pol­i­tics of Lead­er­ship, plus a man­dat­ed man­age­ment intern­ship. The SHRM — the Soci­ety for Human Resource Man­age­ment con­sid­ers Quin­nip­i­ac’s cur­ricu­lum to align with the soci­ety’s guides and templates.

Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1929 in response to the clos­ing of Northeastern’s New Haven cam­pus. Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus is home to more than 10,000 under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate stu­dents vying for pro­fes­sion­al degrees offered by the uni­ver­si­ty’s eight colleges/schools.

What We Like: Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty man­ages and admin­is­ters the renowned Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty Polling Institute.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Quin­nip­i­ac Uni­ver­si­ty BS in Human Resources Management

12. Blackburn College

Black­burn Col­lege offers a bachelor’s degree pro­gram in Human Resource Devel­op­ment that is rec­og­nized among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the mid­west­ern US. Course­work for Black­burn Col­lege’s HR under­grad­u­ate degree pro­grams includes per­son­nel devel­op­ment, learn­ing mate­r­i­al devel­op­ment, eco­nom­ics, psy­chol­o­gy, and eval­u­at­ing per­son­nel per­for­mance, among oth­ers. In addi­tion, degree can­di­dates attend­ing Black­burn Col­lege’s under­grad­u­ate degree in HR must com­plete an intern­ship to meet the pro­gram’s require­ments. Stu­dents grad­u­ate from Black­burn Col­lege and enter the work­force as recruiters, ben­e­fits spe­cial­ists, com­pli­ance spe­cial­ists, or human resource man­agers, to name a few.

Black­burn Col­lege was estab­lished in 1837. Black­burn Col­lege is a fed­er­al work col­lege – one of only nine in the nation. Near­ly 600 stu­dents attend class­es at Black­burn Col­lege and have their tuition dues reduced by the work they do for the school.

What We Like: Black­burn Col­lege is named to hon­or Pres­by­ter­ian min­is­ter G. Blackburn.

Degree: Human Resource Devel­op­ment, BS

Black­burn Col­lege Human Resource Devel­op­ment BS

13. Shippensburg University

Ship­pens­burg Uni­ver­si­ty’s Depart­ment of Man­age­ment, Mar­ket­ing, and Entre­pre­neur­ship offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion (BSBA) degree pro­gram with a Human Resource Man­age­ment Con­cen­tra­tion that is con­sid­ered among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the north­ern US. Stu­dents grad­u­ate from Ship­pens­burg University’s under­grad­u­ate degree to find reward­ing careers as recruiters, arbi­tra­tion spe­cial­ists, nego­tia­tors, and train­ing coor­di­na­tors, to name a few. Ship­pens­burg University’s HR pro­gram requires stu­dents to com­plete 120 semes­ter cred­its include gen­er­al edu­ca­tion, busi­ness core, and human resource-relat­ed coursework.

Ship­pens­burg Uni­ver­si­ty (Ship) was estab­lished in 1871 and was the first teacher’s school in the Com­mon­wealth of Penn­syl­va­nia. Ship­pens­burg Uni­ver­si­ty is one of the mem­ber schools of the Penn­syl­va­nia State Sys­tem of High­er Edu­ca­tion. Ship­pens­burg University’s cam­pus cov­ers more than 190 acres and serves near­ly 7,000 students.

What We Like: US News and World Report rec­og­nizes Ship­pens­burg Uni­ver­si­ty among the country’s top pub­lic universities.

Degree: Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion: Man­age­ment, BS

Ship­pens­burg Uni­ver­si­ty Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion: Man­age­ment, BS

14. Bloomfield College

Bloom­field Col­lege offers a BBA in Human Resource Man­age­ment pro­gram that is con­sid­ered among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the north­east­ern US. Degree can­di­dates study course­work relat­ed to train­ing, con­flict res­o­lu­tion, com­pen­sa­tion, per­for­mance man­age­ment, and orga­ni­za­tion­al behav­ior, among oth­ers. Stu­dents grad­u­ate from Bloom­field Col­lege’s HR degree pro­gram to find reward­ing careers as com­pen­sa­tion man­agers, labor rela­tions spe­cial­ists, admin­is­tra­tive spe­cial­ists, ben­e­fits man­agers, and human resources man­agers, to name a few.

Bloom­field Col­lege was estab­lished in 1868 as a the­o­log­i­cal sem­i­nary in Newark. The school is affil­i­at­ed with the Syn­od of the North­east, Pres­by­ter­ian Church (USA). Near­ly 2,000 stu­dents attend class­es on the school’s 10+ acre sub­ur­ban cam­pus, less than one hour from down­town Manhattan.

What We Like: The Equal­i­ty of Oppor­tu­ni­ty Project rec­og­nized Bloom­field Col­lege among the top school in New Jersey.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

Bloom­field Col­lege BBA in Human Resource Management

15. College of Saint Rose

The Col­lege of Saint Rose offers a BS in Human Resource Man­age­ment degree pro­gram sequence that offers stu­dents study abroad oppor­tu­ni­ties from one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams. The Col­lege of Saint Rose’s under­grad­u­ate HR pro­gram is accred­it­ed by ACBSP. Course­work for this degree pro­gram includes finan­cial man­age­ment, oper­a­tions man­age­ment, human resources man­age­ment, plus an intern­ship in a relat­ed HR position.

The Col­lege of Saint Rose (CSR) was estab­lished in 1920 as a pri­vate insti­tu­tion of high­er edu­ca­tion. The Col­lege of Saint Rose remains affil­i­at­ed with the Roman Catholic Church. The Col­lege of Saint Rose’s urban cam­pus cov­ers near­ly 50 acres in the cap­i­tal of New York State and is orga­nized into four colleges/schools.

What We Like: The Sis­ters of Saint Joseph orig­i­nal­ly found­ed the school and con­tin­ue to spon­sor its aca­d­e­m­ic programs.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Col­lege of Saint Rose BS in Human Resource Management

16. Carlow University

Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Human Resource Man­age­ment that has received accred­i­ta­tion from the Inter­na­tion­al Accred­i­ta­tion Coun­cil for Busi­ness Edu­ca­tion (IACBE). As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams, Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty offers an accel­er­at­ed option for their bac­calau­re­ate human resource man­age­ment pro­gram. It offers a three-year degree deliv­ery plan, includ­ing sum­mer ses­sions. Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty offers study abroad options for enrolled students.

Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1929 by the Sis­ters of Mer­cy, Roman Catholic Church, and is oper­at­ed by the Con­fer­ence for Mer­cy High­er Edu­ca­tion. Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty’s urban cam­pus­es are locat­ed in down­town Pitts­burgh and serve more than 1,200 stu­dents who earn degrees in the school’s small class sizes.

What We Like: Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty’s cam­pus­es are locat­ed in Greens­burg, Oak­land, Cran­ber­ry, and Pitts­burgh. The school is named for the Sis­ters of Mer­cy’s home­town in Ire­land – Carlow.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment Tech­nol­o­gy, Depart­ment of Man­age­ment, BS

Car­low Uni­ver­si­ty BS in Human Resource Management

17. Charleston Southern University

Charleston South­ern University’s Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a BBA in Human Resource Man­age­ment from one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the south­ern Unit­ed States. CSU’s bac­calau­re­ate human resource man­age­ment pro­gram has received accred­i­ta­tion from IACBE – the Inter­na­tion­al Accred­i­ta­tion Coun­cil for Busi­ness Edu­ca­tion. Stu­dents grad­u­ate from CSU’s degree pro­gram to find reward­ing careers as train­ing spe­cial­ists, recruit­ing man­age­ments, employ­ee rela­tions spe­cial­ists, or human resource man­agers, to name a few.

Charleston South­ern Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1964. Charleston South­ern Uni­ver­si­ty remains affil­i­at­ed with the SC Bap­tist Con­ven­tion. The university’s 290+ acre cam­pus is sit­u­at­ed on what was once a rice plan­ta­tion in North Charleston and serves more than 3,400 students.

What We Like: The school oper­ates cam­pus min­istries like Ele­vate and Cam­pus Cru­sade for Christ.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BBA

Charleston South­ern Uni­ver­si­ty BBA in Human Resource Management

18. Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clar­i­on Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia offers stu­dents a choice of human resource man­age­ment pro­grams. Clar­i­on Uni­ver­si­ty’s Depart­ment of Man­age­ment and Mar­ket­ing offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) or a Bach­e­lor of Arts (BA) in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion (BSBA or BABA) with a con­cen­tra­tion in Human Resource Man­age­ment. As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams, Clar­i­on’s HR pro­gram pre­pares degree can­di­dates for careers as an employ­ee ben­e­fits spe­cial­ists, human resource plan­ners, job ana­lysts, labor rela­tions assis­tants, test­ing spe­cial­ists, or per­son­nel recruiters, to name a few.

Clar­i­on Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia (Clar­i­on) was estab­lished in 1867. Clar­i­on University’s rur­al cam­pus cov­ers more than 200 acres and serves more than 4,200 stu­dents study­ing for var­i­ous aca­d­e­m­ic degrees offers by the university’s four colleges/schools.

What We Like: Clar­i­on Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia is a mem­ber school of the PA State Sys­tem of High­er Edu­ca­tion — PASSHE.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS/BA

Clar­i­on Uni­ver­si­ty of Penn­syl­va­nia Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS/BA

19. Meredith College

Mered­ith Col­lege offers a BS in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion in Human Resource Man­age­ment Con­cen­tra­tion that is con­sid­ered among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the south­ern por­tion of the Unit­ed States. Course­work for Mered­ith Col­lege’s bac­calau­re­ate degree in HR pro­gram includes com­pen­sa­tion and ben­e­fits, gen­der & the econ­o­my, staffing, human resource audit­ing, and employ­ee rela­tions man­age­ment, to name a few. In addi­tion, stu­dents must com­plete an intern­ship, which recent­ly includ­ed Mer­rill Lynch, Cred­it Suisse, and Make a Wish Foundation.

Mered­ith Col­lege was estab­lished in 1891 as a Bap­tist insti­tu­tion of high­er learn­ing for women. Mered­ith College’s urban cam­pus in Raleigh is home to more than 2,000 stu­dents vying for one of the 35+ degrees offered.

What We Like: Mered­ith Col­lege’s name hon­ors the founder of the Bib­li­cal Recorder, a Bap­tist newspaper.

Degree: Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion: Human Resource Management

Mered­ith Col­lege BS in Human Resource Management

20. Alvernia University

Alver­nia Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Human Resources Man­age­ment that is con­sid­ered among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­gram in the Com­mon­wealth of Penn­syl­va­nia. Stu­dents grad­u­ate from Alver­nia Uni­ver­si­ty to find reward­ing careers as a com­pen­sa­tion man­ag­er, pay­roll spe­cial­ists, employ­ee rela­tions direc­tor, job ana­lysts, or recruiter, among oth­ers. Alver­nia stu­dents vying for the under­grad­u­ate HR degree are required to com­plete 123 cred­it units to meet pro­gram require­ments. Alver­nia alum­ni work for Van­guard, Penske, First Ener­gy, Futon Bank, and Buck­eye Part­ner, to name a few.

The Bernar­dine Sis­ters of the 3rd Order of St. Fran­cis estab­lished Alver­nia Uni­ver­si­ty in 1958. Alver­nia Uni­ver­si­ty is affil­i­at­ed with the Fran­cis­can Roman Catholic Church. The uni­ver­si­ty’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus in Read­ing cov­ers more than 100 acres and serves near­ly 3,000 students.

What We Like: The first build­ing used as a class­room at Alver­nia Uni­ver­si­ty was for­mer­ly an orphanage.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Alver­nia Uni­ver­si­ty BS in Human Resources Management

21. Chestnut Hill College

Chest­nut Hill Col­lege offers a BS in Human Resource Man­age­ment that is rec­og­nized among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams on the east­ern coast of the Unit­ed States. Stu­dents trans­fer­ring to Chest­nut Hill Col­lege may trans­fer up to 75 eli­gi­ble cred­its. Course­work for Chest­nut Hill Col­lege’s HR under­grad­u­ate degree includes employ­ee rela­tions, the psy­chol­o­gy of lead­er­ship, orga­ni­za­tion­al behav­ior, employ­ee devel­op­ment & per­for­mance, the legal envi­ron­ment of busi­ness, busi­ness ethics, plus an intern­ship in a relat­ed field.

Chest­nut Hill Col­lege was estab­lished in 1924. Chest­nut Hill Col­lege remains affil­i­at­ed with the Roman Catholic church, with a cam­pus on the north edge of the City of Broth­er­ly Love. The col­lege’s 40+ sub­ur­ban cam­pus is home to more than 2,200 students.

What We Like: The cam­pus of Chest­nut Hill Col­lege can be found on the Nation­al Reg­is­ter of His­toric Places.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Chest­nut Hill Col­lege BS in Human Resource Management

22. Northern Illinois University

North­ern Illi­nois University’s Col­lege of Business/Department of Man­age­ment offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence degree pro­gram in Man­age­ment with a Human Resource sequence that is ranked among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the mid­west­ern US. North­ern Illi­nois University’s under­grad­u­ate HR pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents for careers as recruiters, train­ing man­agers, com­pen­sa­tion ana­lysts, staffing spe­cial­ists, and lead­er­ship devel­op­ment spe­cial­ists, among oth­ers. North­ern Illi­nois University’s HR degree has received accred­i­ta­tion from the AACSB and Poets and Quants. Stu­dents grad­u­ate with honed skills in prob­lem-solv­ing, pro­fes­sion­al devel­op­ment, com­mu­ni­ca­tion, and deci­sion-mak­ing, among others.

North­ern Illi­nois Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1895 as a teacher train­ing col­lege. North­ern Illi­nois University’s col­lege-town cam­pus in DeKalb cov­ers more than 900 acres and serves more than 20,000 students.

What We Like: North­ern Illi­nois Uni­ver­si­ty oper­ates satel­lite cam­pus­es in Naperville, Rock­ford, Chica­go, and Hoff­man Estates, Illinois.

Degree: Man­age­ment: Human Resources, BS

North­ern Illi­nois Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resources, BS

23. Cabrini University

Cabri­ni Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BS in Human Resource Man­age­ment that is con­sid­ered among the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams on the east coast. Degree can­di­dates are required to com­plete 63 semes­ter cred­its to meet the HR Major’s require­ments. Stu­dents grad­u­ate from Cabri­ni Uni­ver­si­ty’s HR degree with the skills nec­es­sary to suc­ceed in the work­force in the HR areas of com­pen­sa­tion, ben­e­fits, staffing, train­ing, orga­ni­za­tion­al devel­op­ment, plus train­ing and devel­op­ment, to name a few. Those inter­est­ed pur­sue careers in the gov­ern­ment, prof­it, and non­prof­it sec­tors of the busi­ness and economy.

Cabri­ni Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1957. Cabri­ni University’s sub­ur­ban cam­pus in Rad­nor is home to more than 1,500 stu­dents. Cabri­ni holds the dis­tinc­tion of being one of the first insti­tu­tions of high­er edu­ca­tion that required grad­u­ates to per­form com­mu­ni­ty service.

What We Like: Cabri­ni Uni­ver­si­ty is named in hon­or of an Amer­i­can Saint Frances Cabrini.

Degree: Human Resource Man­age­ment, BS

Cabri­ni Uni­ver­si­ty BS in Human Resource Management

24. Bluffton University

Bluffton Uni­ver­si­ty offers a Human Resource Man­age­ment Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion that requires degree can­di­dates to com­plete an intern­ship as part of the degree require­ments. As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams, Bluffton Uni­ver­si­ty’s HR bac­calau­re­ate degree pro­gram has received accred­i­ta­tion from the ACBSP, the lead­ing accred­i­tor of busi­ness pro­grams. Course­work delves into the impor­tant facets of HR like com­pen­sa­tion, health, and safe­ty, recruit­ment, employ­ee rela­tions, and train­ing, among oth­ers. Addi­tion­al­ly, course­work for Bluffton Uni­ver­si­ty’s under­grad­u­ate degree pro­gram in human resources also includes man­ag­ing and adher­ing to gov­ern­ment regulations.

Bluffton Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1899, with an affil­i­a­tion with the Men­non­ite Church (Anabap­tist denom­i­na­tion) USA. Bluffton University’s rur­al cam­pus serves near­ly 900 stu­dents and cov­ers more than 200 acres.

What We Like: Notable alum­ni include renowned broad­cast­er Hugh Downs and the inter­na­tion­al­ly famous come­di­enne, Phyliss Diller.

Degree: Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion: Human Resource Management

Bluffton Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resource Management

25. Bryant University

Bryant Uni­ver­si­ty’s Col­lege of Busi­ness offers a Bach­e­lor of Sci­ence (BS) in Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion with a con­cen­tra­tion in Human Resource Man­age­ment that has received accred­i­ta­tion from the inter­na­tion­al AACSB. As one of the best col­leges for human resources bach­e­lor degree pro­grams in the north­east­ern Unit­ed States, the cur­ricu­lum for Bryant University’s under­grad­u­ate HR pro­gram includes strate­gic human resources, labor eco­nom­ics, con­flict res­o­lu­tion, employ­ee rela­tions, women and lead­er­ship, and diver­si­ty, among oth­ers. Degree can­di­dates are required to com­plete 122 semes­ter cred­its to meet Bryant University’s degree requirements.

Bryant Uni­ver­si­ty was estab­lished in 1863. The uni­ver­si­ty is divid­ed into two schools ded­i­cat­ed to busi­ness and the arts & sci­ences. Bryant Uni­ver­si­ty serves more than 3,500 stu­dents on its 400+ acre cam­pus in Smith­field, Rhode Island.

What We Like: Bryant University’s orig­i­nal Col­lege of Busi­ness in Prov­i­dence was sold to Brown Uni­ver­si­ty, which lat­er became the school’s east­ern campus.

Degree: Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion: Human Resources Man­age­ment, BS

Bryant Uni­ver­si­ty Human Resources Man­age­ment, BS

Why Should I Get a Degree in Human Resources?

To fig­ure out if an HR degree is right for you, find out:

• What is a degree in human resources?
• What is a human resources degree good for?
• What Is a Degree in Human Resources?

An HR degree is a high­er edu­ca­tion degree, typ­i­cal­ly at a four-year col­lege or uni­ver­si­ty, received by stu­dents who com­plete a busi­ness school cur­ricu­lum con­cen­trat­ing on human resources. In the busi­ness world, human resources are the peo­ple, com­mon­ly called employ­ees, who do the work.

Online pro­grams make it eas­i­er for work­ing HR pro­fes­sion­als to get a degree, rather than on-cam­pus pro­grams. If you have an asso­ciate degree, you can take a degree com­ple­tion pro­gram, adding elec­tives and a cap­stone project. With full-time study at an online degree, a human resource man­age­ment major can be a grad in as lit­tle as a year. You may even get cred­it for your real-world expe­ri­ence. In-state tuition will also be cheap­er than out-of-state.

For ques­tions about enroll­ment, finan­cial aid, and GPA require­ments, con­tact the school you’re inter­est­ed in. Some good ones include the Uni­ver­si­ty of South Car­oli­na, the Uni­ver­si­ty of Min­neso­ta, Michi­gan State Uni­ver­si­ty, and the Uni­ver­si­ty of Miami.

What Is a Human Resources Degree Good For?

Accord­ing to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta­tis­tics, most jobs in human resources require a four-year degree in human resource man­age­ment. In order to advance your career, you may want to con­sid­er get­ting a mas­ter’s degree.

What Kind of Degree Do I Need for a Career in Human Resources?

To answer this impor­tant ques­tion about an HR career, let’s look at the fol­low­ing FAQs:

• What Major Is Human Resources Under?
• What Degree Is Need­ed to Become a Human Resource Manager?
• What Major Is Human Resources Under?

A human resources major is the best degree for human resources pro­fes­sion­als who know what they want to do. If you major in one of the best degrees for human resources, you can expect to study orga­ni­za­tion­al behav­ior, labor rela­tions, staffing, sta­tis­tics, and com­pen­sa­tion and ben­e­fits. These degrees are avail­able at the two-year, four-year and grad­u­ate levels.

What Degree Is Need­ed to Become a Human Resource Manager?

Most HR man­ag­er posi­tions require a bach­e­lor’s degree in HR or a relat­ed busi­ness field. The lev­el of edu­ca­tion varies from job to job. For high­er-lev­el posi­tions, the best degree for human resources career mobil­i­ty is a mas­ter’s degree or high­er. Even with the best degree for human resources, you should con­cen­trate on get­ting at least five years of expe­ri­ence to qual­i­fy for most man­age­ment posi­tions. Vol­un­tary cer­ti­fi­ca­tions cou­pled with a mas­ter’s lev­el spe­cial­ty in HR may be one of the best degrees for human resources career pro­mo­tion. In any case, you should find the best degree for human resources career entry in your area to opti­mize your career choices.

Is Human Resources a Good Career Path?

Let’s look at whether HR offers a strong career path by asking:

• Is human resources a good career?
• Is human resources man­age­ment a good career?
• Why human resources is a good career?
• Is Human Resources a Good Career?

Salaries vary wild­ly in the HR field. Entry-lev­el posi­tions start at around $32,000 with top exec­u­tives rak­ing in near­ly $250,000 annu­al­ly, accord­ing to salary.com.

Why Human Resources Is a Good Career?

Accord­ing to the BLS, there is a steady demand for HR posi­tions, with a pro­ject­ed growth rate of 5% per year expect­ed through 2028. That’s about aver­age com­pared to oth­er careers, but there is no pro­ject­ed decline. Human resource spe­cial­ists han­dle com­pli­cat­ed employ­ment laws and must be pro­fi­cient in health­care admin­is­tra­tion. Since most growth is with the tech­ni­cal, sci­en­tif­ic and pro­fes­sion­al fields, HR spe­cial­ists need to pick up tech­ni­cal top­ics quick­ly in order to vet can­di­dates for open positions.

If you get a job in a larg­er cor­po­ra­tion, there’s typ­i­cal­ly a lot of room to grow. If you get bored in one indus­try, your skills are typ­i­cal­ly trans­ferrable to many oth­er indus­tries. As an HR spe­cial­ist, you use your skills to solve busi­ness prob­lems and often have access to C‑level lead­ers look­ing to staff up cer­tain depart­ments. This gives you the oppor­tu­ni­ty to make a good impres­sion that can pay off when new posi­tions open!

Is Human Resources Management a Good Career?

As an HR man­ag­er, you have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to help your com­pa­ny grow by recruit­ing and hir­ing tal­ent­ed employ­ees. This can be very reward­ing as well as chal­leng­ing. You can def­i­nite­ly count on every day being dif­fer­ent! If you want a job where you can get through the day on autopi­lot, HR man­age­ment may not be your best career choice. How­ev­er, if you crave new respon­si­bil­i­ties and chal­lenges, get ready. As a human resources man­ag­er, you han­dle the fol­low­ing responsibilities:

• Writ­ing job requirements
• Recruit­ing and new hire orientation
• Audit­ing legal compliance
• Main­tain­ing employ­ee records
• Han­dling employ­ee complaints

An HR man­age­ment career is the cul­mi­na­tion of hard work in school and in low­er lev­el jobs and many HR man­agers love what they do!

Relat­ed Rankings:

15 Best Online Bach­e­lor’s in Human Resources

10 Fastest Online Bach­e­lor’s in Human Resources

10 Most Afford­able Bach­e­lor’s in Human Resources

15 Best Online Train­ing and Devel­op­ment Programs